KS8 questions

Hearing Aids
#1

I am thinking of moving up to Costco KS8 from KS5. I’ll start by saying that my biggest problem, like a lot of you, is hearing speech in a noisy environment.

First, can you plug an external microphone (e.g. high gain directional mic) into your iPhone and then use the Remote Microphone setting under iPhone hearing devices to listen? Or can this use only the native, built-in iPhone mic? Obviously here I’m trying to make my own “Roger Pen.”

Does anyone have any experience using the Connexx Smart Mic with your HA? Must it be attached to the person you want to hear or can you hold it and “aim” it at a person close by to better hear them?

When you use the KS8/iPhone, system, does listening to a phone call involve both sets of HAs or just a L or R?

Thank you!

#2

I recently moved from the MFi KS6 (Resound) to KS8 (Rexton).

If paired to your iPhone there is an option to use the iPhone as a remote mic. I have not tried that.

Another option is to buy the Rexton Smart Mic for $199.99 from Costco That can function as a remote mic or interface with Bluetooth Classic devices…

#3

Hang in for the KS9’s. They are due to be released in the Spring of this year. The price should still be $1599. I’ll post release date as soon as I get the call.

#4

Spring? That strikes me as unlikely. The KS8s came out in February or March of 2018 and they’ve been on roughly an 18 month cycle. I’d guess August at the earliest. What info do you have?

Also, the “pattern” has been for $100 price drop with each new model. KS6 was $1799, KS7 $1699 and KS8 $1599. Nothing says that pattern will continue, but it’s a possibility.

#5

I am also looking at the KS 8.0 HA’s. I’m new to the forum and HA technology. As best as I can decipher the specs for the KS 8.0 is that they have a Rexton feature called XPhone. It appears to be similar to the Signia feature called TwinPhone. It seems to be designed for phones that the HA user uses on an ongoing basis. A magnet is the attached to the receiver of the phone and it triggers the HA to send the received signal to both ears. Here are some links I found that talk about it.

#6

The KS8’s are also made for iphone. No need for the magnet.

#7

I am not a iPhone user, but I would expect if you pair the HA’s with your iPhone you will get direct streaming of phone calls to both ears. Here is a link from Signia that might help. The magnets would be needed for land line phones you use personally.

#8

Info is from Costco Audi. Take it for what it’s worth.

#9

You can stick a little magnet on any single sound source held up to your ear to make that feature work.

#10

Did you mean to say “MFi KS?? (Resound) to KS8 (Rexton)”?
I’d be interested in your comparison.

#11

KS6 (Resound) to KS8 (Rexton).

#12

quality is worst in iphone live listen and remote mic will serve better voice quality+control of HA without picjing up iphone

#13

I trialed those and that feature does work as advertised and makes landline or normal cell phone use much easier. It does transmit the signal to the other ear. You can do it as a manual program too, just choose that program and talk on any phone. Phonak has a similar program.

#14

That feature looks interesting. Please tell me more. I have KS8

#15

Rexton calls it x-phone. If I remember you click the red or blue button to activate it for that ear (transmits to the other). You can click the middle button to work if you take a call on either ear. It makes the mic really hot, picking up anything on the phone. I had it set as a manual program but I believe you can have it set for automatic if you have a phone with a magnet (I don’t):

Rexton%20Connex8
Rexton Connex8.JPG1457×772 113 KB

#16

I only have up/down rocker switches on my aids.
It is a specific program then? Interesting but not worth a 4 hour round trip to Costco.

#17

Yes, it is one of the manual programs. I guess it depends on how much you use a regular phone. It really works well.

#18

Am I correct in assuming if you put the magnet on the phone, you don’t have to set a program for it, and it just switches to the XPhone mode by itself? Do the HA’s come with magnet(s)?

#19

It’s a setting in the programming that your fitter needs to set. Then yes it’ll do this automatically. You may need to ask for the magnet(s).

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#20

Your pro can set it up to work that way. It can be set to work both ways. The advantage of a manual program is that you can use it on any phone, not just a phone with a magnet.

I had mine set as the last program and since the KS8 can select programs going up and down, I was one button push from the phone program. So if someone handed me a strange phone, one push and I was good to go.

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